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50
Dampness in Houses.
Dampness was found in only four houses, due to temporary nuisances which were
remedied.
Lighting and Ventilation.
Three children lived: in a semi-basement flat, and although the lighting was not good, the
flat was well built and the street and courtyard adjoining fairly wide, so that lighting and
ventilation compared not unfavourably with upper floors in narrow streets and small courtyards.
In eight other cases the lighting was unsatisfactory.
Most of the remaining homes were well ventilated and the lighting good; in no case was
ventilation or lighting markedly unsatisfactory.
Overcrowding and Sleeping Accommodation.
There was evidence of legal overcrowding in only one of the houses and steps were taken
to abate this nuisance; the legal standard of overcrowding is notably low however. The
sleeping arrangements are given in the following table:—

* Exclusive of two cases where wrong addresses given, one where the patient died shortly
after the date of notification, and four where the child removed immediately after
notification.
It will be seen that only twelve children had a separate room; forty-three had a separate
bed in a shared room; fifty-four shared a bed, twelve of these with more than one person and
three in a living room; eight children had a separate bed in the living room (a very unsatisfactory
arrangement, seeing the child is disturbed by the late and uncertain hours of going to
bed kept by the rest of the family, and also the possibility of disturbance at an earlyish hour
in the morning).
Social Conditions.
Six children live in one-room homes. In thirteen homes there is a history of chronic
poverty, but without acute distress; in three of these the mother has been many years widowed;
in another the mother has been rearing the illegitimate family of a man who also supports
his wife and his own legitimate family on a moderate income; two are living on widows'
pensions. In all these homes difficulty of providing proper clothing, and more especially
sufficient boots, may arise at any time, and if this does occur we hope to be able to solve
the difficulty. In one case, last year, boots were provided by the Public Assistance Committee.
Value of Notification of Rheumatism in Children.
The notification of rheumatism in children enables research to be made into cases which
may possibly influence the incidence of the disease: it also calls attention to rheumatism as
a disease of childhood.
The periodic visiting which follows upon notification enables the health visitor to bring
home to the parents the need of intensive care for the child and of giving consideration to